Researchers first noticed the lake after satellite images showed that ice on Antarctica's surface was grooved, which indicates potential liquid water underneath. Given that Antarctica was once home to insects, forests, and even dinosaurs, the discovery of this 62-mile long, six-mile-wide ribbon-shaped lake is strongly considered to be just the beginning: scientists estimate that the lake has been trapped under the ice for around 25 million years, and that ancient life forms could still be surviving within it. And while scientists aren't yet 100 percent positive that the lake exists, collaborators from the U.S. and China have flown over the site with radars, and will be able to verify the lake's validity by May of this year. “It’s the last un-researched part of Antarctica, so it’s very exciting news, but it’s still tentative pending full confirmation,” team member Bryn Hubbard told New Scientist of the lake, which is thought to be less than 65 miles from the continent's nearest research base.

For many, the discovery is reminiscent of the 2013 exploration of Antarctica's Lake Vostok, which had been similarly undisturbed for 25 million years. There, glacial archaeologists reported that they had identified more than 3,500 different DNA sequences, and many organisms that weren't found in the known gene bank. Should the existence of the lake be confirmed, it would no doubt be a massive boost for Antarctic science, research on subglacial lakes, and tourism to the continent, which has already increased considerably thanks to interest in Antarctica's untouched landscapes and wildlife. Now that's—pun intended—cool.